Palm Beach County Closes Public Schools for October 12 Holiday

Public school students in Palm Beach County, Florida, have a day off on Monday, October 12, 2026, as the school district closes campuses for a teacher workday. According to BocaNewsNow, private schools in the area remain open, while school districts elsewhere in Florida determine their own schedules for the federal holiday.

The closure marks the third day off for Palm Beach County public school students so far this school year, BocaNewsNow reported. The district designated October 12 as a teacher workday rather than a regular instructional day.

The next scheduled student holiday in Palm Beach County is Election Day on November 3, when many schools are used as polling places. November 11 is another day off, followed by Thanksgiving break from November 23 through November 27, according to BocaNewsNow.

School schedules vary across Florida because the state does not officially observe Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples' Day as a state holiday. However, Columbus Day is among Florida's legal holidays, and individual counties and school districts can determine whether schools close, according to Tallahassee.com.

Most Florida districts listed by Tallahassee.com have no classes on October 12, with many assigning the day to teacher planning, professional development, or other staff work. Several districts, however, maintain a regular school day.

Schools are scheduled to remain open in Alachua, Bradford, Citrus, DeSoto, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hardee, Highlands, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Lee, Liberty, Madison, Martin, Miami-Dade, Polk, Sumter, Taylor, and other districts identified in the county-by-county listing.

Other districts, including Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Orange, Osceola, Pinellas, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, and Volusia, have scheduled closures for teacher planning or workdays. Glades and Hendry counties begin fall break on October 12, while Gulf and Washington counties have fall break scheduled for October 12-13.

Weather-related disruptions also affect school operations in parts of Florida. Tallahassee.com reported that Escambia County Public Schools and offices are closed October 12 as officials continue assessing damage from Hurricane Isaias. Santa Rosa County schools are also closed while assessments continue.

Columbus Day is observed on the second Monday in October and falls on October 12 in 2026. Federal offices and banks close for the holiday, and the U.S. Postal Service suspends regular mail delivery, according to the reports.

Indigenous Peoples' Day is observed instead of or alongside Columbus Day in a growing number of states and municipalities. Tallahassee.com reported that 14 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 130 cities recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day in one of those forms.

In New York's Tompkins County, municipal offices and county departments are closed for the holiday, according to 14850.com. Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit buses and curbside recycling collection continue on their regular schedules, while the Recycling and Solid Waste Center remains open from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The City of Ithaca is shifting trash collection scheduled for Monday to Tuesday, with subsequent pickups delayed by one day for the rest of the week. Casella trash collection is scheduled to operate normally, according to 14850.com.